THE Creatine (HYROX)

An electrolyte involved in muscle and nerve function; sweat losses are much smaller than sodium's.

Supports immune function and acts as an antioxidant; moderate doses may reduce colds during heavy training, while very high doses may blunt training adaptations.

A B vitamin involved in turning food into energy; supplementing helps only if your diet is short on it.

Involved in energy metabolism and making neurotransmitters; supplementing helps only if intake is low.

Needed for red blood cells and nerve function; especially relevant for vegans and vegetarians.

An electrolyte and bone mineral; sweat losses are small compared with sodium.

A leucine breakdown product marketed to reduce muscle breakdown; benefits are seen mainly in untrained or older people, with little effect in trained athletes.

Studied for strength and power; results are mixed.

The most researched sports supplement: 3–5g a day raises muscle creatine stores, improving repeated high-intensity efforts, strength training and recovery. Creapure® is a well-known high-purity creatine monohydrate.

Oral ATP and 'ATP-boosting' ingredients are marketed for strength and power; a few small, mostly industry-funded trials show benefits, and results are inconsistent.

An adaptogenic herb with good evidence for reducing stress and improving sleep at 300–600mg of standardized extract; lower doses are less studied.

Ginseng-type herbs are studied for energy, stress and recovery; results are mixed and many studies are small.

The most researched sports supplement: 3–5g a day raises muscle creatine stores, improving repeated high-intensity efforts, strength training and recovery. Creapure® is a well-known high-purity creatine monohydrate.

Oral ATP and 'ATP-boosting' ingredients are marketed for strength and power; a few small, mostly industry-funded trials show benefits, and results are inconsistent.